Crouch can cover loss of Rooney says Benítez

Rafael Benítez insisted yesterday that the Liverpool striker Peter Crouch has the necessary quality and character to step into the void left by Wayne Rooney at the World Cup as England attempt to unearth an alternative strategy in the absence of the injured Manchester United striker.

Crouch was originally to be used as a "Plan B" by Sven-Goran Eriksson, his 6ft 7in frame offering the side the opportunity to adopt a more direct approach, most likely in tandem with Michael Owen with Rooney dropping into a deeper-lying role. Yet, with Rooney not expected to feature until the third group game against Sweden at the earliest as he recovers from a broken metatarsal, Crouch may now become a first-choice option.

"He's a very good player, but what he must remember is how he dealt with the pressure when he went through all those games without scoring," said Benítez, who paid Southampton £7m for Crouch last summer and stood by his recruit as he took five months to register his first Liverpool goal. "People were talking about him, doubting him, but he carried on working hard and playing well. Now he has 11 goals, but also enough quality, temperament and experience for the World Cup. He can handle the responsibility and has confidence in himself."

Crouch has endured ridicule - primarily because of his awkward appearance - throughout his career but has proved his qualities in recent times. His outlook has been chiselled by the disappointment of his release from Tottenham Hotspur as a youngster and then years of enduring abuse in the lower leagues to choruses of "freak" from the terraces.

Yet, having failed to justify a £5.5m price tag at Aston Villa, he flourished under Harry Redknapp at Southampton last season and has steadily proved his worth at Anfield and with England. Redknapp confirmed that "Peter will cope, no doubt about it. Whether it is as a lone striker with five across midfield, or with a partner like Michael Owen, he will be up to the task. His game is about far more than being a target man. His touch is great and he has the ability to hold the ball up and bring other people into the game, and not many defenders at the finals will ever have come up against a player like him".

The Portsmouth manager added: "Even when he was going through that barren spell, and received a bit of stick, he was not the sort to hide. That shows the character of the guy and why I know he will not be fazed by the World Cup finals."

Crouch scored his first goal for his country in the 2-1 friendly win over Uruguay in March, though it was his impact alongside Owen on debut against Colombia in New Jersey last summer that offers promise. The 25-year-old excelled as Owen plundered a hat-trick at his side. "People don't quite understand what he brings to the team," said Owen recently. "But he is the type of player that can hurt a defence and bring a different dimension."

As for Owen's fitness, the fomer Liverpool striker is confident he will be fit for the World Cup. The 26-year-old admitted after his comeback for Newcastle United as a substitute at Birmingham City on Saturday that he had felt discomfort in the metatarsal he fractured in December, and was rushed to see his specialist yesterday morning.

However, after receiving assurances from the medics and speaking to fellow sufferers of the injury, he is hopeful of playing some part in Sunday's final Premiership game against Chelsea. "That's a big relief," he said. "I have heard from other players who have had the same injury and they have told me it is totally normal to feel this pain when you first come back. Provided it subsides over the next few days, I would hope to be involved against Chelsea. There is no reason to think I should have any problems being right for the World Cup."

Owen had not played since breaking the bone in a collision with the Spurs' goalkeeper Paul Robinson at White Hart Lane on December 31. He underwent surgery to pin the toe, but needed a second operation to insert a longer screw.